Presidency in search of woman governor for Gilgit-Baltistan

SKARDU: Some women from Gilgit-Baltistan were being interviewed at the Presidency in view of President Asif Ali Zardari’s announcement on the eve of the second death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto that a women governor would be appointed in Gigit-Baltistan.

The idea floated by President Asif Ali Zardari was warmly appreciated among womenfolk across Glgit-Baltistan, saying it was an encouraging sign and would go a long way towards gender equality and create vast opportunities for women of the area in the field of politics.

The president’s proposed initiative would involve women of the area in policy and decision making processes, said women social and political activists in a meeting here. Non-governmental organisations, particularly working for the cause of women, held a meeting, which was attended by all the women dominataed civil and social organisations.

These NGOs expressed solidarity with President Asif Ali Zardari and welcomed his promise of woman governor and demanded that the idea must be materialised. The All Baltistan Women NGO Network President, Zakia Bano, and Zarina Tabassum on the occasion said that women were 51 per cent of the country’s population but they were being ignored. But the government with the vision of Shaheed Motharma Benazir Bhutto was accommodating them in different folds of government structure and the same criteria should be adopted vis-a-vis Glgit-Baltistan.

They further said that women of GB were trying their level best to compete in every field of life. The meeting unanimously thanked President Asif Ali Zardari for awarding a ticket to Sheren Fatima whose brother was martyred in 2008 in Karsaz bomb blast.